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MDN'ers,

Digg It: http://digg.com/apple/Apple_TV_does_not_require_Widescreen_TV_or_HDTV_works_with_standard_TVs

That's great news! Now I have to check the back of my oldish Sharp CRT...

I have been playing with my new Apple TV since 3pm yesterday and I love it. Works as expected. I can see the hooks for future firmware updates to enable direct purchases and other niceties.

However, there is one complaint I have about it. Audiobooks. The only audiobooks that will play on Apple TV are the audiobooks you buy from the iTunes Store. I buy mine through Audible.com.

I can play audiobooks from Audible.com or from the iTunes Store on my iPod and also in iTunes, so why is Apple preventing me from listening to my audiobooks through Apple TV? Enquiring minds want to know.

I'm a loyal Apple customer since the Apple II days. I have used a Mac since '84. I've converted more PC users to Macs than I can count, but this smacks of Apple strong arming their customers, forcing them to shop in their on-line store. What do you guys think?

Apple, if this is the result of some kind of contractual conflict, please come forward and tell us so we'll understand the issue, and more importantly so it doesn't leave us with a bad taste in our mouths.

Oh well, I doubt there are more than 10 people that will actually buy an Apple TV to listen to audiobooks on it though. I mean seriously, that's like the lowest listed feature on the totem pole there...

I hooked my aTV to a few thigns to test it out. Save a few annoying oversights in software design i love it. I used it on a 2 4x3 devices (a TV w/ componant and a monitor w/HDMI - DVI) and I while it worked fine, I couldn't figure out how to unsquish the screen. even in 480P/i it still elongated everything. Anyone know how to fix that?

Reality Check - that does seem to fly in the face of Apple's "If you can play it on an iPod, you can play it on AppleTV" mantra. That's odd. My guess is Apple didn't intentionally prohibit playback. My suggestion is to try exporting a chapter to Audio CD and then reimporting it to iTunes to see if that provides a solution. Yes it could be a pain - depending on how many audiobooks you have.

Good luck.

Peace.

So far, it seems to be a bad taste only in YOUR mouth, Reality Check.

What do I think? It's just a little odd to me that you want to listen to audiobooks through your TV...

That last point is curious. iTunes can handle lots of different QuickTime codecs, but I'd like to think that any media I create using the same MP4/AAC formats as the shows I've purchased would work, even though I'd not be incorporating the Fairplay encryption. I'm sure we'll soon be hearing of someone's success.

I just recalled, El Gato's eyeTV products can export recordings in an TV-friendly format. We shall too.

I can totally see wanting to play an audio book through your living room surround-sound system, so RC has a valid point. My guess it's a licensing issue.

"I'm a loyal Apple customer since the Apple II days. I have used a Mac since '84. I've converted more PC users to Macs than I can count,"

I wish I had a dollar for everytime I heard someone say something like this.
Apple doesn't care about the money you spent with them in 1986.

They are all about making future money, and apparently they know what theya re doing.

Has anyone tried playing a purchased TV show through AppleTV to see if the closed caption information (which isn't accessible via iTunes) is carried over to the TV set (which CAN display captions)???

Just wondering...

I wonder, Reality Check, if your audio books are in the iTunes Library. It may be their location that is keeping them from showing up or playing on ATV. Just a guess. Worth checking?

Didn't the latest QT Pro incremental upgrade
include a "new export for TV " option?

OK, now I know my girlfriends' component inputs will work on her 27" Sony. I could not for the life of me figure out why Apple claimed it wouldn't.

As far as Quicktime, has anyone tried an associate file?

considering the ☣tv will likely be hooked up to a high-quality sound system, it would be easily imaginable that someone would listen to an audiobook through that system.

--i can't find the apple symbol in my character pallet so i included a similar one. I think i'll start using random symbols here and there. some are pretty cool.

Hmmmm, I believe that there are converts that take in component cables and output to ch 3 cable tv inputs.

Just a thought.

PS, Apple TV does not support quicktime???? is there a standard converter from quicktime to whatever AppleTV does support??

ne

anyone tried it on a CRT TV with component inputs?

Great News for our family,

our 52" sony has componet inputs, and simulated widescreen mode, guess I am good to go

Most "standard" TVs have only one set of component inputs. Why on earth would someone devote those to a low-res device rather than their DVD player?

I find it ridiculous that Apple didn't include S-Video. Actually, it is retarded.

I found a Component to SCART converter (amongst millions of other cables) over at http://www.tvcables.co.uk/cgi-bin/tvcables/YUV-RGB-SCART.html

It only costs £6.99 in old money - not bad if it works. My CRT TV from 6 years ago has SCART and supports 16:9 and 4:3, so maybe other's TVs do too.

audiobooks: --i can't find the apple symbol in my character pallet so i included a similar one. I think i'll start using random symbols here and there. some are pretty cool.

COMMAND-SHIFT-K = 

Oops, I meant...

OPTION-SHIFT-K = 

My only question is will it play mpg video files that are in iTunes. Yes, its not supported, but neither are non-widescreen tvs.

Toasty!: "I couldn't figure out how to unsquish the screen. even in 480P/i it still elongated everything. Anyone know how to fix that?"

I know this should be obvious, but for some reason, some people need to have everything explained to them... Just because TV can display on a 4:3 display with the component video connections, does not mean that it was designed with the 4:3 display mode in in mind. Furthermore, considering that Apple has explicitly stated that you need a widescreen TV, should make it abundantly transparent that the TV does not have a 4:3 display mode.

Toasty!: "I couldn't figure out how to unsquish the screen. even in 480P/i it still elongated everything. Anyone know how to fix that?"

I had the same issue with my 4:3 Sony. In the Sony Setting Menu you can tell the TV to auto detect 16:9 or set it for always 16:9 for eacdh video input. I set the video input that the AppleTV is plugged into to always be 16:9 and it works like a charm. Something similar is what you want to look for on your Television. Good luck!

@BuriedCeasar

Wow, that was an insensitive post. What if Reality comes back to you and says he is dyslexic? or suffering from macular Degeneration? How little will you feel then...

Audiobooks are used by all sorts of people. I have a friend who DOES have macular degeneration and cannot read much these days - and she LOVES books. But parents use them for their children, and some people like to listen to them in the car on long trips.

You should try to be less narrow on your outlook.

Man
'TV does not have a 4:3 display mode.'
Then how does it support 480p?

MW:school

 - - - - - ◊
|
◊- - - - - -- - Chop, chop, chop!!! TV

Most "standard" TVs have only one set of component inputs. Why on earth would someone devote those to a low-res device rather than their DVD player?

Duh... Let me take a wild guess on this one: Because AppleTV lets you enjoy movies, TV shows, slide shows and music instead of just your rented DVD's???

@ alansky:

Low-Res, DRM-mangled downloads from the internet at $1.99-a-pop doesn't substitute for a DVD -rental or not.

So your wild guess is wrong. Try again, Kool-Aid-Boy. Ya gotta be pretty damn dumb to be buying into this Zune-like turd. And to tie-up your component inputs with this expensive toy.

some surround sound receivers convert component inputs to composite output (monitor out). something to think about

@TV Freak

By resorting to personal insults you show that you have run out of arguments. Try and be more adult about this - its not a good look...

Alansky has a point - and though your needs may be specific, not everyone will share your view of the product. Evidently, from the good publicity thus far, not many people share your view.

Explain DRM-mangled... Does DRM affect the quality of the user video experience? I thought it was supposed to be transparent. Most movies will be watched once only - which is why rental has been so popular. If the download experience is simpler, quicker and cheaper than DVD rental, and the quality is still reasonable, then i guess there will be a market for it.

And as for Apple TV being a "zune-like turd" - well that is harsh criticism indeed. there arent many products out there more turd-like than Zune, pink or not. Can you justify such criticism in some sort of rational commentary not loaded with angry invective?

I agree with Reality Check that listening to Audible-bought audiobooks is important on AppleTV. At the moment, in our family we use several Airport Expresses around the house to play iTunes content, including books; so why would AppleTV not be able to do this, when even a measly $99 Airport Express can?

That's the point and the question. So stop yer bashin' and start a-thinkin', "ummm" and "Buried Caesar" and others.

Option-shift-k produces an apple —  — in the feedback box but a square everywhere else on this page. SeaMonkey.